07 May Long-term Care COVID-19 Resident and Family Connection Plan
New measures have been implemented at the four City of Ottawa Long-Term Care Homes as of Thursday, May 7 to facilitate visitors on the grounds of the Homes while ensuring the safety of residents, visitors, and staff.
Process for scheduled visits
Visitors are asked to contact the home in advance to schedule an appointment.
• The process for booking visits will be the same as the current process used to schedule FaceTime, Skype and phone calls;
• Only during scheduled visits will visitors be permitted within two meters of the building to allow for residents to safely leave their windows open when not hosting visitors;
• Visiting hours are daily from 9:30 am to 12 pm, 1:30 to 4:30 pm and 6:30 to 8:30 pm. This timing is staggered to accommodate resident mealtimes and availability of staff to support the scheduled visits between residents and families;
• If the resident has a safely accessible window within their ground-floor room, the visit can happen there while the window is closed. Otherwise, a common area with a window will be used and residents will be brought to and from this location; and
• There are clear signs and ground marking on site to ensure all visitors comply with physical distancing rules – especially at doorways and on walkways.
Click on the images below to enlarge them in order to see the designated areas outlined.
In the event of an outbreak, the Home is required to put additional safety measures in place, as mandated by the Province and Ottawa Public Health. Given that Peter D. Clark and Garry J. Armstrong are currently experiencing an outbreak unfortunately visits are not permitted at this time. Staff will notify families when visits are able to resume. In the meantime, staff will continue to support residents in connecting with families via Skype, phone calls, emails, and personal letters.
Outdoor seating and amenities
For all visitors, all outdoor seating and amenities are off-limits. To ensure residents have safe spaces outdoors to enjoy the nice weather and to ensure residents and visitors can follow physical distancing requirements. Physical barriers and signs noting which parts of the property visitors can access have been added.
Visitors are also reminded not to pass items to residents directly. Deliveries can be made at the main entrance during drop-off hours (9:00 am to 2 pm, 4:30 to 8:00 pm) and staff will ensure items are safely delivered to the residents. Deliveries will still be permitted in the event of an outbreak.
For a copy of the memo and supplementary Long Term Care Visitors Guidelines, please click the appropriate links below.
English
- LTC_Visitor_Guidelines_Process_May 6
- Memo to Council_Long-term Care COVID-19 Resident and Family Connection Plan_May 6
En français